Method of cooking potato chips



y 7, 58 A. 5mm 2,836,496

METHOD OF COOKING POTATO CHIPS Original Filed Dec. 7, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 27, 1958 s vo METHOD OF cooxiuc POTATO CHIPS Original Filed Dec. '7. 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 liw MM z Etltbp May 27, 1958 r A. SALVO 2,836,496

METHOD OF COOKING POTATO CHIPS Original Filed Dec. 7. 1951 I5v Sheets-Sheet 3 v M /g 8x10;- 6 2 4 2 y wry METHQD GF COGKIN G POTATO CHIPS Anthony Salvo, Fall River, Mass.

Original application December 7, 1951, Serial No. 250,315, now Patent No. 2,715,869, dated August 23, 1955. Divided and this application July 7, 1955, Serial No. 520,413

1 Claim. (Cl. 99-100) My present invention is a novel and improved method of manufacturing food products, including the handling and cooking of the same, and is directed particularly to my method of making potato chips and the like, and is a division of my prior and copending application Ser. No. 260,376, filed December 7, 1951, on an Improved Machine for Potato Chip Manufacture, allowed April 14, 1955, and now Patent No. 2,715,869, dated August 23, 1955.

As explained in my said prior application, important objects of my present improved invention and process as carried out by my novel machine of said prior application, are to insure a uniformly cooked product; to effect a saving in the oil employed in the cooking action, and thereby utilizing a better grade of oil; to separate the heating of the oil and the cooking instrumentalities in adjacent but spaced relation; to supply heated oil at predetermined positions in the cooker; to withdraw partially cooled oil from the bottom of the cooker, and thus affording a regulated heat supply while feeding the articles being cooked throughout the length of the cooker; to maintain the devices being cooked at a predetermined submerged level in the cooking oil, and for other improvements.

Referring to the drawings illustrating preferred embodiments:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved apparatus to carry out my novel process;

Fig. 2 is a side view of the heater, viewing the same on the line 22 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view of the apparatus;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross-sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is an end view looking from the right of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 6 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a modification showing the means for feeding the sliced potatoes while immersed in the cooking oil.

As shown in the drawings, 1 indicates a brick-enclosed heater having an upper extension 2, wherein are 2. pl' rality of open hatchways 33 along the top and 4-4 at the sides to permit access for cleaning and to provide a plurality of openings to dissipate the heat when the fire is shut off, enclosed "by removable covers 6-6. A series of burners 77, preferably oil or gas, are fitted at one end in the firing chamber 8; and along the upper part of the heater are sets of oil-carrying tubes 1010, preferably extending lengthwise of the heater, and reitc rates flffilig:

turning to give a double or tn'pled transmission of the tarnishing and discoloring.

draw a supply of oil from a filtering sump 25 into which the oil is returned after passing thru a cooker and thence thru a filter in the sump 25,

I also provide a by-pass 26 controlled by a valve 27 extending from the manifold 12 into the sump 25 so that the pump can be operating at normal speed, keeping the oil in forced circulation thru the manifold 12 and the series of tubes 1% These tubes extend in doubled relation and preferably incline downwardly at an angle to facilitate cleaning and are lead lengthwise of the fire box 8, and a plurality of these tubes deliver the heated oil at the opposite end into a trough 29, which, in turn, delivers the heated oil into the end of the cooker 30.

This cooker or kettle 30 is preferably arranged in close proximity to and parallel with the heater 1 and lined with aluminum 33, this material being found satisfactory to keep the heated oil in condition and prevent it will be appreciated that as the sliced potatoes are delivered at the intake end of the cooker 3 they are in a cold condition and in order to take care of this situa-, tion I direct a considerable number of the tubes 10 carrying the heated oil from the boiler to the cooker sufiicient to compensate for the initial carrying of the potato slices thus delivered. Any desired number of the tubes 10 can be directed to the intake end of the cooker.

As here shown, a series of such tubes, indicated generally at 35, may be led directly into the cooker or thru a trough 29, which may be insulated and covered, but I prefer to lead a selected number of the oil-carrying tubes to provide fresh and heated oil lengthwise of the cooker so as to maintain the proper temperature, viz., approximately 340 to 360 F. throughout the cooker. By this means. also I may control the temperature lengthwise of the cooker 30, as may be found expedient.

I have herein illustrated a set of the tubes 36 and 37, discharging into the cooker midway of the length, as indicated at 38 and 39, respectively, with the further set of the tubes led adjacent the outgoing or delivery end an of the cooker 3t), as indicated at 41, 42, and 43 to discharge the heated oil at the delivery end.' It will be appreciated that the heated oil being positively circulated into and thru the cooker at these various points of delivery will cause a continuous flow and thus maintain the oil in proper condition.

To stil further control the heat supply and condition, I provide a series of drains in the bottom of the cooker, as indicated at 45, i6, and 47 to withdraw the partially cooled oil at the bottom of the cooker and lead same thru a conduit 50, controlled by a valve 51, back into the filter and sump 25.

I contemplate utilizing any suitable or desired automatic controls to govern the heat thru the burner 7.

which may be regulated by temperature or pressure, as indicated by a dial 55, or otherwise, so as to keep the flow of heated oil from the boiler to the cooker at the critical temperature desired. In addition, the customary or usual safety devices to shut off the fuel thru the burners '7 will also be utilized.

In order to supply the sliced potatoes in desired quantity to the cooker, I contemplate utilizing any suitable potato peeler adjacent the feeding end of the cooker 30, wherein the same are led by a chute 56 from the peeler into a suitable .slicer 60 which automatically slices the potatoes; and as the same are dropped from the slicer 60, I provide a spray-washing apparatus, as indicated at 61, Fig. 3, wherein water under pressure from any suitable source is supplied thru apipe and into a spraying nozzle in the path of the sliced potatoes as they drop from the slicer 60 into a receptacle 63 from whence they are delivered into my novel combined screening, drying, and feeding device 66.

v a perforated rotatablecylindrical screen having a spiral rubber feeding rib; or ribs, indicated in dotted lines at 67, Fig. 3, which s jcreen is rotated in any suitable manner and permits the sliced potatoes to'be dried as theyiare fed to a conveyor 65; leading the-sliced potatoes directly into the delivery'end of the cooker 343.

' From thence, the sliced potatoes, which normally flow on the surface of the heated oil 70, may be moved lengthwise or the tank bya series of usual type of paddles 71, 72, 73, and 74. These paddles are generated in the sides ofthe top of the cooker 3i) and the first paddles 711' rofated by a motor 75 and sprocket chains 76 the other paddles being similarly rotated by connecting sprocket chains77, 78, and 79 from a motor 80,01 in any other 7 suitable or usual manner as-shown in the drawings.

" Instead of the'pa'ddles 71, 72, 73, 74 or any combination, of the same; I prefer to utilize a' mesh, chain conveying element,'as shown in Fig, 6, which will hold the floating sliced potatoes underneath the surface of the ,oil' level, preferably at a predetermined depth, and preferably'also near the delivery end 40 of the kettle 30.

For this purpose I provide a pair of sprockets indicated at 81 and 82 over which an openwork mesh chain element, the full width of the interior of the cooker, is rotated, said mesh belt or chaint85 acting on "top of the floating sliced potatoes as they approach the delivery end of 'the cooker, thereby depressing them a predetermined a belt connection with either of'the motors already indicated, or'from'a separate motor if desired;

At the delivery end 4%) of the tank a conveyor'88 of usual type operated between sprockets 89 and connected with the motor 80 by the belt 90, which may also be utilized to rotate the sprocket chain 79 and the paddles, t

is arranged whereby the now cooked potato chips are delivered into'a troughf 91 and thence to the usual sorting and packaging stations.

It will be appreciated thatfmy' novel and improved apparatus for the automatic manufacture of potatochips, or the like, utilizing heated oil as the cooking element, carries out my novel process of heating the oil remote from the cooker or kettle, preventing the oil in" the. kettle from becoming overheated at the bottom, 'insuring the maintenance of the oil in proper condition, .per-

, mitting it to be re-used-instead of as formerly being of positively submerging the sliced potatoes, either-at a portion or throughout the entire extent of their travel in the cooker, I secure a positive and more uniform cooking action. This openwork chain belt 85 may be operated at any speed desired and the sprockets actuated by thrown away at the end of each days Work.

Also, byhaying the cooking kettletspaced, protected, and remoted from the fire, the danger and hazardof getting" the oil either overheated or catching on fire is prevented.

I claim:

In the continuous" cooking of potato chips, thesteps of heating a; body of; oil to a cooking temperature in a zone remote from a' cooking zone, continuously deliV.- ering saidheated oil to said cooking zone at a plurality of points spacedalong the upper portion of said cooking zone, continuously advancing potato chips through said heated oil in said cooking zone to be cooked solely by contact with said pie-heated oil, while, continuously recirculating said oil from the cooking zone to the heat ing zone remote from said cooking zone and back to said cooking zone. 7

References Cited in the file of this patent V STATES PATENTS 1,234,131 Cleveland July 24, 1917' 2,041,175 Goodman May 19, 1936 2,286,644 Pringle et al. June 16,, 1942 2,463,112 Kipnis Mar. 1, 1949' 

